Berdan Sharps Rifle
Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company · Rifle · Discontinued · 1859
Also known as: Sharps New Model 1859, Berdan Sharpshooter Rifle, Sharps Model 1859 Berdan, Berdan's Sharps
Overview
The Berdan Sharps is a large-bore, single-shot, falling-block breechloading rifle built on the Sharps New Model 1859 by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. Issued to Colonel Hiram Berdan's 1st and 2nd United States Sharpshooters during the American Civil War, it was distinguished from the standard infantry rifle by its double set triggers, which Berdan insisted upon for precision long-range shooting. Originally firing a .52 caliber glazed-linen combustible cartridge ignited by a percussion cap, many examples were later converted after the war to fire the .52-70 Sharps centerfire metallic cartridge. Its rapid breech-loading rate and accuracy at over 500 yards made it one of the most effective sharpshooting arms of the war.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3970 g (140.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1191 mm (46.89") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Set |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | None |
| Muzzle Velocity | 380 m/s (1247 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2108 J (1555 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 9 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .52-70 Sharps · primary — also known as .52-70, 52-70 Sharps
- .52 Sharps Linen Cartridge — also known as .52 caliber, .52 Sharps
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breechloader
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Double Set Trigger, Falling Block Breech, Angular Socket Bayonet Lug, Three Barrel Bands, Lever Actuated Breechblock
Variants
- Sharps New Model 1863 — Production Update
- Sharps New Model 1859 Carbine — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- 1st United States Sharpshooters (Berdan's Sharpshooters) · adopted 1862
- 2nd United States Sharpshooters · adopted 1862
- Union Army · adopted 1861
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- American Indian Wars (1865-1891)
Production
Estimated total produced: 11,000 · Production years: 1859-1865
About 11,000 New Model 1859 rifles made; roughly 2,000 fitted with double set triggers for Berdan's Sharpshooters. Many later converted to .52-70 metallic cartridge.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Christian Sharps
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
The 'Berdan' designation refers to the special double-set-trigger rifles requested by Hiram Berdan for his sharpshooter regiments, not to the Russian Berdan rifle (a separate Hiram Berdan design). Roughly 2,000 were produced with set triggers for Berdan's units out of about 11,000 New Model 1859 rifles total.
Background
Colonel Hiram Berdan, an inventor and reputedly the best rifle shot in the United States, organized his elite sharpshooter regiments in 1861 and insisted they be armed with Sharps rifles fitted with double set triggers. From ranges exceeding 500 yards his green-uniformed marksmen picked off Confederate officers and artillery crews, earning the Sharps its reputation as the deadliest precision arm of the Civil War.